Publications
Published
- Sustainable iron-rich cements: Raw material sources and binder types
Peys, A., Isteri, V., Yliniemi, J. et al. (6 more authors) Sustainable iron-rich cements: Raw material sources and binder types. Cement and Concrete Research, 157. (2022) 106834. ISSN 0008-8846
This review paper discusses in detail the most abundantly available Fe-rich natural resources and industrial by-products and residues, establishing symbiotic supply chains from various sectors. The discussion then focusses on the impact of high iron content in clinker and on ferrite (thermo)chemistry, as well as the importance of iron speciation on its involvement in the reactions as supplementary cementitious material or alkali-activated materials, and the technical quality that can be achieved from sustainable Fe-rich cements.
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- Losing ground: Targeting agricultural land take by enabling a circular economy
Kourmouli, A., Lesniewska, F. Losing Ground: Targeting Agricultural Land Take by Enabling a Circular Economy in Construction. Circ.Econ.Sust.Ìý(2023).
In this opinion paper, the authors argue that the circular economy concept could help to establish an alternative perspective on how to understand and address the agricultural land take problem. Law and policy need to foster a systemic transition to a circular economy throughout the entire construction sector’s multiple material life cycles if it is to significantly reduce land take. We use England as a case study to show how the UK government can revise and build on current policy to enable a transition to a more circular construction sector. The case study provides valuable lessons for other countries at a crossroad on land use policy on how fostering a circular construction economy can reduce land take and maintain agricultural soil’s ecological services.
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- Disassembly and reuse of structural members in steel-framed buildings:Â State-of-the-art review of connection systems and future research trends
Kitayama, S., Iuorio, O. (2023) Disassembly and reuse of structural members in steel-framed buildings: State-of-the-art review of connection systems and future research trends. Journal of Architectural Engineering, Volume 29, Issue 4 (2023)Â
This paper (1) presents a review of more than 100 documents to discuss the feasibility of disassembly and reuse of structural members; (2) develops detailed schematic illustrations to explain the design concepts and the underlying mechanics governing the behavior of demountable connections; (3) sheds lights on the technical and design challenges to implement disassembly and reuse of the structural members; and (4) defines future research needs to facilitate the disassembly and reuse of the structural members.
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- Bayesian material flow analysis for systems with multiple levels of disaggregation and high dimensional dataÂ
Wang, J., Ray, K., Brito-Parada, P., Plancherel, Y., Bide, T., Mankelow J., Morley, J, Stegemann, J., Myers, R., "Bayesian material flow analysis for systems with multiple levels of disaggregation and high dimensional data" Journal of Industrial Ecology Publication in (pre-print)
- Potential for a soil reuse and storage system in England
You’ve perhaps heard of insect hotels but what about soil hotels?
Sometimes thought of as the ‘Cinderella’ of the natural world, soils store more carbon than the atmosphere and vegetation combined, are a precious resource which all too often goes unnoticed, underappreciated and at worst, simply thrown away.
Over 50% of the soil deriving from construction and demolition projects in England finds its way into landfill, arising to £1.42 billion annually as a functional value loss. Although is some cases soil has become contaminated, and poses a risk to people and the planet if not disposed of carefully, in the overwhelming majority of cases (98.% was classified as inert waste) perfectly safe soil is sent via skips to landfill each year.
Drawing on examples of best practice from New York to the Netherlands, Lancaster University researchers along with the Environment Agency and other university partners are working to tackle the amount of soil that finds its way into landfill each year with a series of policy recommendations and the introduction of a soil reuse and storage system, including soil ‘hotels’ and ‘hospitals’.
In their report ‘Potential for a Soil Reuse and Storage system in England’, Soil Hotels are defined as ‘fixed facilities for temporary relocation of clean, natural soils’, whereas Soil Hospitals would be facilities for treatment of contaminated soils as well as manufacturing soil with improved quality.
Soil is a limited, non-renewable source and underpins a plethora of vital ecosystem services essential to climate control, water quality, nutrient cycling and more. It forms incredibly slowly, is lost at variable rates through natural erosion or abruptly and in large volumes (from 2 up to 40,000 times greater than pre-construction conditions) as a result of the construction industry.
Angeliki Kourmouli, lead author said: “Soils are often overlooked when it comes to a construction or development project, and their management is not considered during the early planning stages. Soil handling within development is often mismanaged due to inadequate on-site monitoring and enforcement of existing controls. Moreover, storing soil on-site has been described as a critical obstacle when it comes to soil reuse. We believe that with some changes we could develop a pathway towards a more circular and better management of soil in England."
Kourmouli, A. , Winter, G., Andrews, K., Cory, T., Elliott, P., Palmer, E., Stevens, P., Davies, J., Stevens, C. and Quinton, J. N. (2024). Potential for a Soil Reuse and Storage system in England. Lancaster: Lancaster University 10.5281/zenodo.10943857
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- Circular Economy Textbook: An Introduction to Waste Management and Circular Economy
This book starts from the belief that waste management cannot be understood without considering the wider context of production and consumption. Products and services result from complex material lifecycles, starting with the extraction of raw materials, followed by material processing and product manufacturing, before delivering their intended service to consumers. After their use, products are discarded and may be recovered or disposed. This systems perspective on material use is essential to address the social and environmental impacts of waste.
Stijn van Ewijk & Julia Stegemann
To download your copy free, click . Â
- Determining the carbon footprint reduction of reusing lightweight exterior infill walls: A case study of a school building in the United Kingdom
This paper first examines the construction process of lightweight exterior infill walls and explores the opportunity to demount and reuse them. Then, the environmental impacts of the lightweight exterior infill walls are analysed using a lifecycle assessment framework. Sensitivity and uncertainty analyses are also conducted.Â
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Under Review
- Developing an accounting-sustainability tool to embed circular economy principles for the construction sector
Zhao, L. Journal of Cleaner Production
- Exploring the enablers and barriers on capital investment into circular economy initiatives
Zhao, L. Accounting and Business Research or Accounting, Auditing & Accountability
- Incorporating circular economy principles into the lifecycle of lightweight exterior infill walls
Kitayama, S., Iuorio, O., Josa, I., Borrion, A.,Black, L. Journal of Cleaner Production
- Integrating behavioural science insights into social life cycle assessment: a proposal
Josa, I., Allison, A., Purkiss, D., Miodownik, M., Borrion, A. special issue of International Journal of Lifecycle Assessment
- Maritime shipping digital twin toward decarbonization of cement carrier journeys
Manola, E., Owen, J., Stevenson, K., Perkins, B., Varga, L. Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives
Manuscript in preparation
- Application of BaMFA to quantify the UK construction aggregate cycle
Wang, J. - Report for the UK Office of National Statistics
- Less is more: from waste management to waste prevention, paper in preparation
Ewijk, S., Josa, I., Lesniewska, F., Lindner, A. - Journal TBCÂ
- Decarbonisation and circularity strategies in the construction sector: life cycle assessment of cleaner production of the concrete supply chain in the UK
Josa, I., Borrion, A. - Journal TBC
- Rebuilding or retrofitting? An assessment of social impacts using Social Life Cycle Assessment
Josa, I., Borrion, A. - Journal TBC
- Resource efficiency and circular economy strategies in the UK’s construction sector: an economic policy assessment
Calzadilla, A., Piskin, M., Domenech, T. - Journal TBC
- Enabling capital investment into circular economy projects for the construction sector: An UK case study
Zhao, L. - Management Accounting Research or British Accounting Review
- Introduction of a soil reuse and storage system in England
Kourmouli, A. - Report from Environment Agency secondment
- Magway an underground freight delivery system digital twin
Manola, E. - Journal TBC
- Key indicators to assess construction supply chains from an environmental perspective: taxonomy and critical insights
Josa, I., Borrion, A. - Journal TBC
Conference proceedings - Post-Doctoral Researchers
- Valorisation of construction and demolition waste for sustainable infrastructure development
Lesniewska, F, Presentation at the UK-China Joint Conference (12/2021)
- A robotically extruded sugar waste composite for a circular biomateriality in architecture
J. Meng, D. Alnaeb, A. K. Salmane, P. Devadass, M. Cruz, B. Parker, 5th International Conference on Structures and Architecture, Aalborg UniversityÌý(7/2022)
- Design for de-construction of lightweight infill walls systems
Kitayama, S., Luorio, O., Conference Paper presented at the eighth International Conference on Structural Engineering, Mechanics
- Accounting for Circular Economy
Zhao, L., Presentation at Bristish Accounting and Finance Association FMI / NAG Conference at the University of York (9/2022)
- Not wasting opportunities; rethinking approaches to waste law interventions
Lesniewska, F., special panel at the Society of Legal Scholars, Annual Conference Oxford, (8/2023)
- CE policy and MCM in UK
Lesniewska, F., International Conference on Resource Sustainability, University of Surrey (8/2023)
- 3D visualisation of the interfacial transition zone between recycled aggregate and different cementitious materials
Fernandes, B., Krishnan, S., Macente, A., Villagrán-Zaccardi, Y., Black, L., Bernal. S., ToScA UK & Europe 2023Ìý(Glasgow, 2023)
- The combined roles of cement type and recycled concrete aggregate on the formation of the interfacial transition zone
Fernandes, B., Krishnan, S., Macente, A., Villagrán-Zaccardi, Y., Black, L., Bernal. S., V International Conference Progress of Recycling in the Built EnvironmentÌý(Weimar, 2023). Proceedings can be found at:Â
- Impacts of mineral-based construction and demolition waste on soil functions and ecosystem services
Kourmouli, A., Oral presentation at the British Society of Soil Science (BSSS) and Soil Science Society Ireland (SSSI) annual conference and poster presentation at the Early Career BSSS conference (12/2023)
- Construction and demolition mineral-based waste impacts soil functioning and ecosystem services
Kourmouli, A., Submitted to the European Geosciences Union conference in Vienna (4/2024)
- Rethinking construction and demolition soil waste under a circular economy framework
Kourmouli, A., Submitted to the Centennial Celebration and Congress of the International Union of Soil Sciences conference in Florence (5/2024)
Conference proceedings - Co-Investigators
- Presentation of ICEC-MCM to Resource Efficiency in Construction and the Built Environment
Stegemann, J., (1/2021)
- Henry Royce Institute Conference
Stegemann, J., (3/2021)
- NICER Programme National Launch
Stegemann, J., Black, L., Osmani, M., (5/2021)
- London Workshop for Higher Education & the Circular Economy - CE London Week
Domenech, T., (6/2021)
- Construction & Demolition Waste - 18th International Symposium on Waste Management and Sustainable Landfill
Osmani, M., (7/2021)
- Mineral Products Association Conference 2021
Graham, E., (10/2021)
- UKRI IUK Circular Economy for SME Briefing
Black, L., (10/2021)
- 2021 Great Exhibition Road Festival, Science Museum – Construction Materials Toolkit
Myers, R., Wang, J., (10/2021)
- British Precast Conference Week
Stegemann, J., (11/2021)
- Launch of the Research Centre for Resources Engineering towards carbon neutrality
Stegemann, J., (1/2022)
- Construction and demolition waste recovery and the United Nations framework classification for resource
Stegemann, J., WASCON 2023, 11th International Conference on the Environmental and Technical Implications of Construction with Alternative Materials, Hong Kong Polytechnic University (12/2023)
Briefings
- Landill Tax, Construction and Demolition Waste and the Circular Economy
Lesniewska, F., Reed, J., Kourmouli, A., Black, L., Venkataraman, R., Soumava, B., Graham, E. (2023) Policy Brief
Click here to read.Â